Student Experiences from Summer of 2018 on their own words.
Photo: Larry Nordell (left) and the 2018 Internship recipients
| 2018 Students | School | Company/Institution |
| Edward Burns | Carlsbad | SeeScan |
| Jennifer Byrnes | Poway | SeeScan |
| Warren Chang | Canyon Crest | Sidus Solutions |
| Ryan Finley | Bishops | Teledyne RDI |
| Serena Geroe | Canyon Crest | NOAA |
| Steven Nguyen | Helix | SonTek |
| Aneesha Ramaswamy | Sage Creek | Teledyne RDI |
| Fadi Shaba | Valhalla | Hubbs Seaworld |
| Jake Stenger | Bishops | SeeScan |
Warren Chang, Canyon Crest HS
Sidus Solutions
I had a great time at SIDUS. All of the staff members were very kind and accommodating. They were all willing to answer my questions with detail and enthusiasm. On top of that, I was able to eat out with everyone at one point or another, and I was able to see just how experienced many of the employees at SIDUS were.
Every day, there was always something to work on. I remember helping reallocate space within the warehouse and cleaning out old inventory. Another intern, Jacob, and I helped build a cable counter and a safety switch for the oil degassing station. I helped my mentor, Blake, repair the malfunctioning laser engraver on my last day. As a result, I got to see how a company is organized to be as efficient as possible. I saw how electronics are placed to ensure maximum airflow for cooling. I learned how oil interacts with O-rings, how compensators are used on the panning tilts to ensure functionality at depth, the difference between absolute and incremental encoders, and also the key to making a good solder.
This internship far exceeded my expectations. It was inspiring and enlightening, and I hope that I will be able to return next year.
Serena Geroe, Canyon Crest HS
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Center
Thank you and the Marine Technology Society for supporting me during my NOAA internship. It was an incredible learning experience and I look forward to putting what I learned to use as a future engineer. I enjoyed learning about methane seeps and the functionality of the EK60, and especially how each step — from data collection on the survey, to coding the map — fits within the process.
Studying acoustic survey data gave me a completely new perspective on sound and how it can be employed for research purposes. I am proud of the following accomplishments during my NOAA internship:
- Learning about and processing EK60 echo sound data from the 2012 and 2013 surveys
- Learning how to utilize Echoview software and using it to locate 90 seeps and 196 uncertain seeps
- Conducting a review of pertinent literature
- Analyzing seep characteristics both qualitatively and quantitatively by learning about the positioning of the seeps on the continental margin / mean seep depth, volume backscattering strength (Sv), nautical area scattering coefficient (NASC), and height
- Learning how to use the R Studio environment and Leaflet JavaScript library
- Utilizing the seep coordinates and skeleton R code written by Dr. Stierhoff to code an interactive GIS map that can:
- Display seeps and uncertain seeps individually
- display seeps / uncertain seeps from 2012, 2013, and 2018 surveys individually
I also enjoyed visiting the tech tank and tech lab, and speaking with NOAA experts on the AST Team including David Demer, Steve Sessions, David Murfin, Kevin Stierhoff, and Juan Zwolinski about acoustic survey technology — such as the acoustic release systems and calibration equipment — used to gather data. Additionally, I had the pleasure of visiting the aquarium and speaking with members of the Genetics, Physiology, and Aquaculture staff, such as Katherine Swiney, about the ongoing projects there such as conservation efforts for the endangered white abalone.
Aneesha Ramaswamy, Sage Creek HS
Teledyne RDI
My internship at Teledyne RDI has been a great experience! The atmosphere is very welcoming and the engineers working here are friendly and willing to help. This has been an amazing opportunity to experience a professional work environment and further explore my interest in this field.
In the past weeks I have been working on a variety of tasks related to testing and QA. I have tested several software programs to ensure their functionality before release, verified the integration of certain software with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), and tested different components of the Pioneer ADCP. I have also been assigned to a developing project where my role has been to test and verify software bugs as well as run test cases on the firmware and analyze the data.
Throughout this internship, I have been constantly learning and gaining hands-on work experience. Thank you for providing this valuable opportunity through this program!
Fadi Shaba, Valhalla HS
Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute
Things have been going great at the hatchery. My mentor Erica at HSWRI (Hubbs Seaworld Research Institute) has taught me a lot not only pertaining to aquaculture but also the technical side of the hatchery and has guided me tremendously in understanding the development of white sea bass from larval to adult sized fish. This experience thus far has been extremely insightful and has opened up my eyes to the many interesting occupations within the engineering and marine sectors.
So far I have mainly been working on an experiment with my mentor Erica. We have been examining tank patterns and their effect on the development of White Sea bass. Specifically we have been examining three different patterns (black, white, and speckled) and with these wish to discover the most effective tank pattern in the development of White Sea bass and other fish species. We chose three different patterns as each of the patterns impact a fishes visibility differently which can cause the fish to swim into the tank at a larval stage leading to deformations in the jaw and face when it develops into a full grown fish. With this experiment I have done everything from examining the larva under the microscope and using software on a computer to measure their development to aiding in collecting data such as dry weights, Length of notochords, hatching reights, and survival reights, and the proximity of the larva to the edges of the tanks. In the next following weeks I will also hopefully be able to examine the larva for facial deformities. On a more technical side, other than the experiment, I have also helped out in designing and creating an oil trap for a tank as when larva develop they release oil that needs to be collected as it is harmful toward their development. lastly in the following few weeks I have left at the hatchery I plan on helping on designing new lids for a couple of new tanks while also continuing to help with the experiment.
Steven Nguyen, Helix HS
SonTek
There can only be one word to describe my experience with SonTek: Inspiring. Over the past month, it has not only continued to inspire my interests of becoming an engineer but it inspired me to discover my strengths and work on my weaknesses. With the help of my mentors, they were the catalysts that fueled my interests in working with this field. They not only taught me what it’s like to be an engineer but how applications and products are created from start to finish. For me, that was the basis of my internship.
The foundation of my internship was based solely on transducers, capable of scanning rivers and lakes from the surface of the water. In the first two weeks, I went with Manufacturing and Production to discover how they were produced and worked with a program called Labview, making applications to test and record information. For the next couple of weeks, I was placed with the applications department and worked on an application that would streamline the production and testing process of the transducers. Overall, it has inspired me to take the next step in my future. Although I wished I would have had a little more time to learn more, it was enough to secure my decision as an engineer.
Ryan Finley, Bishops HS
Teledyne RDI
I’ve greatly enjoyed my time at TeledyneRDI! I have not only learned about the overall workings of a technology company, but I have also learned valuable skills in the field of my interest. Teledyne has assigned me real, hands-on projects working with company products. It is amazing tracking my progress and growth from my first day to now. Initially, I had little idea how any of these sensors or programs worked, but I quickly learned the ropes and I gained a comfortable understanding with both the operation of the sensors and the programs.
I have been working with one of Teledyne’s underwater ADCPs called the ChannelMaster. I have been testing various bugs with the goal of tracking down the source of error. During these tests, I have had the independence to run and design any test that I see fit and manage my own time.
James Stenger, Bishops
SeeScan
I really enjoy working with Jenny and my mentor at Seescan .Alex Warren has been really good at guiding us and teaching us the skills we need to tackle our challenges. So far, we have been working mostly on a design for a drain jetter with an integrated camera system. High pressure petters are typically used to clear blockage with drains and are often used in conjunction with a Seesnake pipe inspection camera. We are trying to integrate these two products into one. We have been doing this by running experiments on prototype parts and spending most of our time 3D modeling parts for the hose, nozzle and reel. It was a challenge to get up to speed in Solidworks, the 3D modeling software we use, but after the first week I got a hang of it. The environment at Seescan has been welcoming and relaxed; I really enjoyed the monthly social event and I have spent a lot of time in the garden on the campus.
Edward Burns, Carlsbad HS
SeeScan
I am thoroughly enjoying my internship at Seescan. Since the beginning, my mentor Rick Aulino has made me feel comfortable and included me in all of activities of his team, as if I were a fully fledged software engineer. The exposure this internship has provided me in the world of computer science has been invaluable and incredibly fascinating. Despite Mr. Aulino’s busy schedule, he’s always available when I am confused or need help.
Since day one Mr. Aulino has had me work on projects that are both interesting and challenging, as well as actually needed by his software team. To this end, I have felt like my work is actually valuable for the company.
Specifically, I wrote a program to run all the unit tests for their Locator Software to make sure things are running smoothly. Additionally, I am currently writing code to parse through binary log files produced by the GeoLocator to make sure the rate of packets received is comparable to the rate we are expecting.
The knowledge and understanding of computer science this internship has provided me so far has exceeded my expectations. I am looking forward to the next three weeks.
Jenny Byrnes, Poway HS
SeeScan
Everything is going really well. The atmosphere is amazing and everyone is extremely nice and helpful.
I’ve been doing mostly modeling through Solidworks for integrating a camera into a jetter system. I worked on 2 main parts that have been submitted to the drafting team and am currently working on a third.